Vehicle wheel driving means



May 29, 1945- L M. BALLAMY ETAL 2,377,124

VEHICLE WHEELl DRIVING MEANS Filed July 15, 1943 s sheets-sheet 1 May 29, 1945 l. M. BALLAMY ETAL l v VEHICLE WHEEL DRIVING MEANS Filed July 15, `1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MY 29 1945- L M. BALLMY ET AL' 2,377,124

VEHICLE WHEEL DRIVING A'MEANS Filed July 15, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 34 ai@ s' 40 1 9a /4 24 58 I /6 A95 l A 9 re/yfa/l 50/2 ga/fw; vA96?, ec/'wd/rw/ s Patented May 29, 1945 VEHICLE; WHEEL DRIVING MEANS Leslie `Mark'allamy, Harestone Hill, Caterham,

- .and `Richard Hasell Sheepshanks, -Eyke, Wood- -brilli'ey'Englands assignors ofone-half to =G.B. (Nottingham) Limited, Nottingham, England Application 5111i' '15, 1943,-sermfN0. 494,858

f 7InGreat Britain July 27, 1942 '4 Claims.

, This invention relates to mounting means 'for a vdriven wheel of a vehicle, and particularly to means of the kind (hereinafter mentioned asfthe kind referred to) in which the wheel is mounted upon-the vfree end of an angularly 2movable 1 'arm pivoted to the frame, Ychassisboiti-y for equivalent of lthe vehicle so 'as to l'allow the Wheel to move up `and Ydown relative to the vehicle lframe or equivalent, resilient `means fb'ein'g 'provided Ito k1resist `upward movementd the arm, anda rotational vdrive 4being imparted to Asaid -Wheel fromlan engine orfequivalentithroughithe mediumlof airotatable driving vmember which has axlsofl rotation substantially coincident `with thefax'isfo'f tin-l gular fmovement'fof the arm, vand twhich drives' 'the wheel 4*through `mechanism carried by the farm.

It is the v.object of -the present invention to provide an :improved 'form -an'd 'construction of wheel mounting in which the Iunspruh'g weight' 'is reduced to a minimum. 'It will of course fbe appreciated that in -ar vehicle having resilient suspension means operatively 'interposedl'between the Wheel and the vehiclefbodyor equivalentthe unsprung 1Weight "is usually regardedasbeing the `weight of the -wheel and lany other parts'fwliich are attached thereto in -a' substantially rigid 'or unsprung manner, and which Itherefore partake in the direct Avibration 4causedby in'equalitiesin the 'road surface. It has long ibeen y-realised *that the weight of 'the' V.unsprung parts f'o the "vehicle should be reduced yto a minimum 'in order :to secure smooth trunning'of the Avehicleand to reduce wear of the parts, and fthe invention sets out 'fto produce this result in fa relatively simple land convenient manner. y

-It lis alurther'object of the Vinvention `Yto provide an improved resilient wheel mounting and driving means lfor 'the A'rear wheel fof a* motor bicyc1e.`

In a vehicle having wheel vmounting means `Aof the kind referred to the 'presentv inventionis `char-1 acterised by the fact that 4thedriving member,4 at the pivotal axis o'f thearm, `:is ydriven by a rotatable shaft'whi'ch extends'-`forwardsfrom saiddriv ing Imember vto a. gear `box or llike driving ymeans, :the said shaft having kits axis fixed in 'relation to the'fra'meor equivalentfof the vehicle so that the `whole of said VshaftV andits bearing-s `are-included Ain :the sprung portion of the vehicle.

There is further 'provided `according Itothe invention in a vehicle, a wheel mounting means of 'the Vkind greferred to, wherein the driving member at'the pivotal axisof 'the rangularly Vmovable armf comprisesa toothec'i vgear `wheel which meshes .referred to the farm, with the driving vmechanism carried thereby, is movable up and down within a casing which is xed in relation to the vehicle frame or equivalent and therefore is wholly included in the sprung portion of the vehicle.

The above mounting means can advantageously be used `for supportingand driving the rear Wheel of a motor bicycle. .A

In all cases the distance between the vehicle y wheel axle and the pivotal axis of the arm is directly with a gear Awheel `carried V'upon the ve- 55 preferably less 'than lthe radius of the vehicle wheel, thus enabling said arm to be relatively short and light. Preferably an angularly movable wheel-supporting arm is provided alongside eachl side of the vehicle wheel, said arms being individually mounted upon the vehicle frame or equivalent and lbeing connected together rigidly by an axle member upon which the vehicle wheel runs. Thus a separate springing device may be provided at each side of the vehicle wheel, said springing device being arranged to exert a downward force upon the corresponding arm.

Where a longitudinal shaft is provided the drive therefrom may bel transmitted from the longitudinal shaft to the driving member by means of skew gearing, and in one arrangement `the driving member is formed with oblique gear teeth which mesh with a skew Worm upon the longitudinal shaft and alsowith a driven gear wheel rotatable -as one with the vehicle Wheel. If desired the driving lmember may comprise a wheel formed with two circumferential rows of gear teeth meshing respectively with a driving shaft and with a gear wheel rotating as one with the vehicle Wheel, the said driving member being freely rotatable about the mounting axis of the `w`heelcarrying arm or arms. Conveniently the driving Vmechanism between the driving'member and the vehicle wheel is disposed -within acasing which is separate from-a pair of angularly movable arms supporting the `wheel axle, and which is arranged to move angularly in a free manner about the mounting axis of the arms so as to accommoda-te itself to up and down movements of the wheel axle; the arms may be disposed outside the movable casing of the said driving mechanism.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section showing one form of mechanism applied to the rear wheel of a motor bicycle;

Figure 2 is a sectional plan corresponding to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of wheel mounting and driving mechanism for a motor bicycle; and

Figure 4 is a plan corresponding to Figure 3 and shown partly in section.

In the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 the rear wheel of a motor bicycle is indicated at Ill and it is arranged to rotate freely upon the usual wheel axle Ii. A drum brake I2 (see Figure 2) has the usual back-plate (not-shown) secured non-rotatably to the axle I I so as to serve as the anchorage for absorbing the braking torque. For supporting the axle I I a pair of angularly movable arms i3 and I4 are provided, one on each side of the wheel l, the axle Il being provided with nuts I5 and I6 which securely clamp the arms I3 and I4 so that the whole constitutes a substantially rigid structure of U shape` as seen in plan. The forward end of the arm I3 is mounted at I 'i to pivot freely upon a stub axle IS, which latter constitutes the mounting of the arm I3 and is carried rigidly by a casing I!) forming part of the frame of the motor bicycle. Extending forwardly from the lower part of the casing I9 is a tube 28 corresponding to one of the normal chain stays of the frame, the corresponding member at the opposite side of said frame ceing indicated at 2l. The tube 2li accommodates a driving shaft 22, which extends forwardly from the casing I9 and which, at its forward end, is driven by the usual gear box of the vehicle. The rear end of the shaft 22 is fitted or formed with a skew gear or worm 23 meshing with a gear wheel 24 forming part of a driving member, which latter is indicated generally at 25. This driving member is freely rotatable upon the stub axle Iii and is therefore coaxial with the mounting axis of the arm I3 and also the arm I4. The drivingr member 25 also comprises a gear wheel 26, which is in permanent mesh with a driven gear wheel 2l adapted to rotate as one with the vehicle wheel IIJ, owing to the provision of a sleeve 28 which is freely rotatable upon the axle Il, and a fixing flange 23 which is secured to the hub of the wheel I0. One of the usual seat stays of the vehicle frame is indicated at 38 in Figure l and is secured rigidly to the casing I9 by means of a flange 3|.

The resilient means, which resist upward movement of the wheel iD relative to the Vehicle frame, and which therefore normally take the =gravitational load on the wheel, comprises a pair of units but one being shown for convenience in illustration disposed one on each side of the wheel Iii. One of these units is indicated at 32 in Figure 1 and comprises a cylindrical casing 33, which is closed at its upper end 34 to form an abutment for a strong coiled compression spring 35. The lower kend of the spring 35 bears against a piston or slider member 38, which latter is coupled by a connecting rod 3i with the axle Il, the lower end of the connecting rod 3l being free to move angularly upon said axle. The other resilient unit which is not shown in Figures 1 and 2, is of similai` general construction but it has its cylinder attached to the seat stay on that side of the wheel opposite to the seat stay 3G. Thus as the axle El.,

permitted play through slot I I in casing I9, moves upwards, for instance on account of a bump in the road surface, the piston or slider member 36 is advanced along the cylinder 33 and compresses the spring 35.

It will be seen that the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 enables the arms I3 and I4 to be considerably shorter than the radius of the wheel I0, thus reducing the unsprung weight to a very small value, especially in view of the fact that the casing I9 is carried by the frame of the vehicle and therefore can be regarded as sprung weight. Moreover the improved arrangement provides an exceptionally eiiicient drive when travelling over rough surfaces, as the driving member 25 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 1, and therefore has the tendency to move the arms I3 and I4 in a downward direction at the instant that the wheel encounters a bump, thus momentarily increasing the adhesion between the wheel and the road surface just at the instant when such increased adhesion is most desirable.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 the angularly movable arm I3 is disposed outside the casing, which is indicated at I9a, and the latter is arranged to swing angularly about the axis of the stub axle I8 as the wheel moves up and down. The longitudinal shaft 22 is arranged within a tube 20 constituting part of the vehicle frame, as before, said shaft being provided at its front end Witha bevel gear wheel 38 which meshes with a second bevel gear Wheel 39 secured to the output shaft 40 of the usual gear box (not shown). The forward end of the shaft 22 is supported in a ball bearing 4I, While its rear end is joined by a splined coupling member 42 with a rear shaft 22a supported in bearing bushes 43 and44 and provided with a two-way thrust bearing assembly 45. The bearings 43, 44 and 45 are tted into a casing I9b. The casing I9b is formed with sockets 46 and 47, into which one of the seat stays 30 and a forwardly extending frame tube 48 are firmly secured, so that the casing I9b is carriedrigidly by the frame of the vehicle. In this case the tube 20 is secured to the casing ISb by a screw thread 49, while its front end fits telescopically into a socket 5U carried by the usual gear box (not shown). The stub axle I8 is in the form of a bolt having under its head 5I a thick washer 52 arranged to ll a circular hole 53 in the casing IBa and serve as a bearing upon which said casing can move angularly. The stub axle I8 also passes through a tube 54 formed in one with the casing I9b and then through a tubular spacing member 55 serving as a bearing for the arm I3. A washer 56 prevents lateral movement of the arm I3 and the whole assembly is secured together by a nut 5l. In addition to the bearing at 53 the casing l9a is supported pivot- .ally at 58 by the casing ISb. The gear wheel 2B is secured firmly to the gear wheel 24 by a sleeve joint 59 to form the driving member 25, which latter is rotatably mounted upon the exterior of the tube 54. The gear wheel 25 meshes with the driven .wheel 21, which latter is secured to the vehicle wheel by bolts 60. The hub portion of the Wheel is engaged by an annular seal 6I fitted into the casing ISP' so as to prevent the access of grit and other foreign matter to the gearing.

Lugs 62 secured to the seat stays 30 serve to support the upper ends of a pair of resilient units 63 and 64, each of which is of the general form shown in Figure 3. It comprises a cylinder 33 closed at its upper end by a screw-threaded plug 34a which is secured pivotally to the corresponding lug 62. A piston member 36 has a downwardly extending piston rod 65 which fits slidably within a bush 66 in the lower end closure Wall of the cylinder 33. The cylinder space above the piston 36 is occupied by a relatively heavy coiled compression spring 35, while a lighter spring 61 in the lower part of the cylinder 33 serves to cushion the recoil stroke of the unit. In the case of the unit 63 the piston rod 65 is pivoted to the casing |9a at 68,4 while on the other side of the Vehicle the corresponding piston rod has its lower end pivotally connected to a lug 69 upon the rear end of the arm I4. l

It will be seen that with the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 up and down movement of the wheel is accompanied by angular movement of the portion I9a of the gear casing, and this enables said casing to be made relatively small and light. The wheel is, of course, maintained in alignment by the arms I3 and I4, which take substantially the whole of the shock loads when the vehicle is running.

It will oi course be understood that the arrangements which have4 been described are given merely by way of example and that various modifications can be made to suit requirements. For instance, it may be desirable in some cases to transmit the drive from the driving member '25 to the wheel by way of three or more gear wheels arranged to mesh in a series, or alternatively `the driving member may be connected with the wheel by means of one or more endless chains. Moreover the driving mechanism may be duplicated on the two sides of the wheel. The invention is, of course, applicable to vehicles other than motor bicycles and it can be readily adapted for motor cars and other motor vehicles. Inv some cases the drive from the longitudinal shaft to the driving member may be effected by` a pinlo and crown gear or by a bevel gearing.

What we claim is:

1. In a motor cycle rear wheel mounting means, including a' casing carried by the frame of the motor cycle. an axle for the rear wheel movable bodily in the casing under similar movements of the rear wheel, an arm pivoted within the casing and connected to and responding to the axle movements, means carried by the casing to yieldingly resist axle movement, and a drive means for .the wheel including a driving gear having an axis of rotation substantially coincident with the axis of movement of the arm, a driven gear wheel coaxial with and operative to drive the rear Wheel, a tube extending alongside the rear Wheel, an engine driven shaft operating in said tube, and a worm on said shaft hav-ing driving cooperation with said driving gear wheel. I

2. A construction as defined in claim 1, wherein a second gear is provided as a unit with the driving gear and meshes directly with the driven gear on the wheel, and wherein a non-rotatable spindle carried by the frame of the motor cycle supports said unit gear an'd said arm.

3. A construction as dened in claim 1, wherein a spindle is fixed in the frame of the motor cycle and extends within the casing, and wherein said arm is rotatably mounted on said spindle at one end and rotationally connected to and supports the wheel axle at the other en'd.

4. A construction as deiined in claim 1, wherein the casing for the worm or skew gearing serves as a mountingy for an oscillatory casing arranged to enclose the driving and driven gear wheels and to move up and down with the wheel axle.

LESLIE MARK BALLAMY. RICHARD HASELL SHEEPSHANKS. 

